By Clara Kaul

In the wake of a grueling week-long election, President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris began their transition process. Despite a lack of cooperation from President Trump, Biden and Harris have launched a transition website, began assembling the new White House staff, and set goals for the first 100 days. As rumors of potential cabinet picks circulate, the media begins to speculate on how a Biden-Harris administration will change the international opinion of the United States. Israel remains largely at the forefront of these conversations; a key issue in U.S. foreign policy. This begs the question: what does a Biden-Harris administration mean for the relationship between Israel and the United States? 

Trump and Israel

Firstly, let’s look at where we are now. Many have called President Trump (including the president himself) the “most pro-Israel” president in the history of the United States. In some ways, this is true. President Trump has double downed on his support for Israel through both his words and actions. In December of 2017, the Trump administration moved the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem-- a move that signified that the U.S. government officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, despite protests from Palestine and the United States public. The President’s so-called Peace to Prosperity plan heavily favors Israel and functions primarily as a cloak for annexation. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have become diplomatic allies. Trump’s United States and Netanyahu’s Israel are deeply intertwined; however, we should not dismiss the diplomatic ties between the two nations as merely the collusion of two right-wing administrations. The “special relationship” between Israel and the United States outlasts any single political party. Here’s what a Biden-Harris administration could mean for that relationship. 

Biden’s Foreign Policy

According to the Democratic Party, President Trump has destroyed the United States’ international reputation. From abruptly exiting the Iran Nuclear Deal, to spewing xenophobic rhetoric in his speeches about China, the President has fundamentally shifted the U.S.’s standing in the international arena. The President-Elect is inheriting a messy foreign policy. The Biden-Harris administration knows this, and as a result, has largely been able to sidestep committing to progressive foreign policy changes and instead relied on returning to a romanticized notion of a strong and hawkish American vision. In an article penned for the March/April issue of Foreign Affairs, Biden writes: “This is the time to tap into the strength and audacity that took us to victory in two world wars and brought down the Iron Curtain.” Biden-Harris will continue the American exceptionalism that has defined U.S. foreign policy for almost a century. 

This romanticized notion of America’s past foreign policy informs the President-Elect’s stance on Israel. Biden’s website utilizes the same rhetoric that has circulated U.S. political discourses since the state’s foundation. He responds to the rising antisemitism of the past four years with firm commitment to defending Israel. He characterizes his administration’s support for Israel as “stalwart” and “unwavering”. Biden cites his record as Vice President in “securing support for lifesaving technologies like the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow 3 anti-rocket and missile defense systems”.  These so-called “lifesaving technologies” are military technologies that Israel Defense Forces use against Palestinians. 

If his time as Vice President is any indication, a Biden presidency will bring continuous support to Israel. In somewhat typical Democratic fashion, the Obama-Biden administration lauded Israel as a democratic underdog in a sea of hostility. Using this framework, they were able to justify a $38 billion aid package to Israel, administered over a decade. Most likely, Biden won’t break from this mold. The world has changed since 2008, but the establishment of Democrats’ staunch support of Israel has not. 

Of course, who Biden picks for his cabinet is a clear indication of what shape his foreign policy will take. Currently, there are three potential picks for Secretary of State circulating the media. The frontrunner is perhaps Susan Rice. Rice worked closely with President Obama as an ambassador to the United Nations and later as a national security advisor. Rice’s position on Israel is relatively moderate. As an ambassador to the UN, she consistently advocated for Israel -- so much so that the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish organizations honored her with a National Service Award in 2011. However, Rice has criticized the Israeli settlements in the West Bank. In the final months of Barack Obama’s presidency, Rice argued against vetoing a UN Security resolution that opposed Israeli settlements-- a move which broke from the United States’ expected response of defending Israel no matter what. More recently, Rice opposed the unilateral Israeli annexation of settlements in the West Bank, arguing that it would weaken Israel’s security, hurt diplomatic ties with neighboring countries, and potentially damage public opinion of Israel among Democratic voters. 

Another potential Secretary of State nominee is Senator Chris Coons. A close friend of the President Elect and hailing from Delaware, Coons is a member of the Senate Foreign relations committee and an advocate for bipartisan support of Israel. According to his record, Coons supports hawkish policies when it comes to Israel. In June 2017, Coons co-sponsored the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, a famed piece of anti-BDS legislation that made it a federal crime for Americans to participate in boycotts against Israel and Israeli settlements. 

Moving Forward

Regardless of who ends up in the President-Elects cabinet, it doesn’t seem like we can expect much change when it comes to Israel. Biden has pledged to leave some of Trump’s policies intact, including the move of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.  As the divide between the progressive and moderate wing of the Democratic party deepens, Israel emerges as a polarizing foreign policy issue. Progressive democrats like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Talib, and Ihlan Omar have affirmed their support for Palesitian rights and publicly opposed moderate Democrats who have doubled down on their support for Israel. Politicians who do dare to critique Israel are met with harsh blowback and accusations of antisemitism from Republicans and Democrats alike. As the United States prepares for a transition of power, it is important to pay attention to all aspects of this new administration -- including and especially foreign policy. 

Biden’s Expected Nominee: Antony Blinken as Secretary of State

Antony Blinken, a longtime foreign policy advisor to the President-elect, is expected to be nominated for Secretary of State. Blinken and Biden have worked together in a variety of contexts; including in the Obama administration and on Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign. Blinken is regarded as a relatively moderate democrat and, in terms of foreign policy, has been lauded as a “defender of global alliances”. A Blinken nomination indicates that when it comes to Israel, Biden will most likely remain moderate. The Jerusalem Post deemed Blinken a “friend of Israel” and his record indicates that his support for Israel is unwavering. He served under the Obama-Biden administration when President Obama signed a record-breaking aid package that promised Israel over 38 billion dollars. In May, Blinken told the Democratic Majority for Israel that Biden is committed to unwavering and unconditional military assistance for Israel, regardless of Israel’s political or military decisions. Many Democrats have praised Biden’s choice, but others, such as Rashida Tlaib, are wary of Blinken’s staunch pro-Israel record. The President-elect is expected to formally announce his nomination for Secretary of State and other cabinet positions on Tuesday, November 24th.

Biden’s Expected Nominee: Linda Thomas-Greenfield as Ambassador to the United Nations

Democrats expect President-elect Biden to name Linda Thomas-Greenfield as ambassador to the United Nations. Thomas-Greenfield is a seasoned diplomat, specializing in the relationship between the United States and Africa. She served as the United States Ambassador to Liberia, Director General of the United States Foreign Service, and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. In a recent article for Foreign Affairs co-authored with William J. Burns, Thomas-Greenfield expresses a desire to return a sense of integrity and responsibility to the State Department after President Trump leaves office. In particular, Thomas-Greenfield names diversity among the state administration as a top priority. As UN ambassador, Thomas-Greenfield is expected to work on restoring foreign relationships. Thomas-Greenfield doesn’t have much of a public record when it comes to Israel, but as ambassador is expected to represent the opinion of the Biden administration. Starting in March, the United States will chair the Security Council in the United Nations, which means Thomas-Greenfield will be in the spotlight when it comes to international issues of peace and security.